Stunned
by Crazy Cravat
Summary: Four stunning spells on Minerva McGonagall at her age! Contains Ootp Spoilers. Prequel to: "Home In Your Arms".
1. Stunned Senseless

Sitting in her office, Minerva felt restless. No, she'd been feeling restless all day. She wondered if she was nervous about her students doing well on their O.W.L and N.E.W.T exams or if it was the absence of Albus from the school. It might have been both by the fact that she'd been finding excuse after excuse to pass in front of the Headmaster's office, she could safely say that the students exams weren't what was bothering her. However empty the Headmaster's office may have been, she found it strangely comforting to pass by the stone gargoyle or venture inside on the pretense of tidying the room. She'd even taken to eating a Lemon Drop or two, despite the fact that she really didn't care for them. While Poppy and the other staff regarded this with understanding Dolores Umbridge seemed to regard her with suspicious scrutiny.  
  
It was strange, really, that Minerva should feel the way she did. After all it wasn't the first time that Albus had to leave or be removed from the school, however unwillingly. Why, just three years ago he'd had to leave because the school governors had their knickers in a twist about four students who'd ended up petrified, when they should have seen that having Albus leave was practically inviting chaos. Moreover, she felt the same now. Just thinking about Cornelius Fudge and the fact that he'd been quite happy and prepared to send Albus to Azkaban, why the whole thing sickened her. She couldn't decide who she loathed more, Cornelius or Dolores. Somehow she felt she didn't need to decide, quite simply they were two sides of the same coin.  
  
With those thoughts swirling around her, Minerva felt she'd not get any work done. Deciding against doing anymore work tonight, she decided to wander the halls again. Maybe she'd even stop by the hospital wing for a chat with Poppy. The second option sounded nice, so Minerva made her way down the corridor while doing her best to resist the impulse to visit the Headmaster's office. Pausing in the doorway, she watched Poppy administering a healing balm on the hand of a second year Hufflepuff. "That'll do to be getting on with. Now off with you." Poppy said as the young girl bounded away, her hand back to normal.  
  
"I take it this one had Herbology sometime today. Worked with undiluted bubotuber pus if I am not mistaken." Minerva remarked casually, stepping up beside the now vacant bed. "Quite right. Poor thing didn't realize there was a tear in her gloves." Poppy sighed, straightening her apron. "So how are you feeling today, Minerva? I heard Dolores has been ferreting around after you. What's she after you about?" asked Poppy, as Minerva followed her to her office. "She seems to think I know where Albus is, which I of course don't. She's also upset that I keep interfering with her plots on Hagrid and Sibyll. It's not enough that Sybil is not longer a professor here, it seems Dolores has high hopes of driving her away." Minerva catalogued, sighing heavily as she did so.  
  
Poppy smiled gently, reaching for the pitcher of pumpkin juice on her desk. She poured two goblets for Minerva and herself. "You're not the only one she's upset with. She was just itching to give me a tongue lashing for taking Sibyll a cup of tea. Dolores believes that Sibyll deserves no such treatment. Something I definitely remembered when she came in here yesterday with her hands swelling up. Seems someone anonymously sent her some post covered in undiluted bubotuber pus. I deliberately gave her the wrong balm. Came in a while later with her hands even worse. I apologized for my mistake and gave her very small amounts of the correct balm. It took a little bit for the swelling and boils to come down. I think she got my message." Poppy said with a wink. Minerva couldn't help but laugh. "Really, Poppy. That was wicked of you. I only wish I had thought of it first." She smirked.  
  
Minerva spent a little while more talking with Poppy, finishing her third goblet full of pumpkin juice. "Well, I do think I had better go. I want to make my rounds before I turn in for the evening." She declared, setting down her goblet. "Before you go, I've got a little something for you." Poppy smiled and handed her a Lemon Drop. Minerva looked down at the candy in the palm of her hand, and then looked up at her friend. She didn't say anything for a moment. Instead she hugged Poppy soundly. They didn't say anything, but their smiles said everything.  
  
Leaving the room, Minerva decided she would go down and take a quick walk about the grounds before she turned in for the evening. Fresh air would do her good, and at least she can sniffle and shed a tear without being discovered and have to answer awkward questions. Besides, she wanted to sneak a peek at her fifth years on their Astronomy exam, their last O.W.L for the day. She had high hopes for them and felt confident they'd do well after she'd seen her students hard at work in the library, especially Neville Longbottom, who'd actually been doing a bit better in his classes. Smiling, Minerva made her way down the stairs.  
  
She had just passed the empty Great Hall when a bang and several accompanied shouts from somewhere on the grounds reached Minerva's ears. Stopping dead, she had a dread feeling. Somehow she couldn't help feeling that this had Dolores Umbridge written all over it. Without a moments hesitation she pulled out her wand and dashed out the doors only to be aghast with shock at the scene before her. She could see six figures, on of whom she knew to be Dolores, bathed in the light from Hagrid's cabin attempting to hex and stun him. Enraged, Minerva raced down the lawn faster than she'd ever run. "How dare you!" She shrieked, raising her wand higher to train it on Dolores. "How dare you!"  
  
Dolores and the other five stopped their attacks on Hagrid, turning to face the angry witch racing towards them. "Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" Minerva roared, her blood boiling. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such-" her sentence fell short as Dolores's henchmen sent no less than four stunning spells at her. The four spells hit her straight on and it was the strangest feeling to Minerva. Her whole body and being seemed to freeze, aglow in brilliant red light. She was lifted off her feet for moment or two before she was thrown backward, landing hard on her back, where darkness enveloped her. 


	2. Feeling it in the Morning

Minerva slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she could scarcely breathe. Not to be cliché, but she felt as if the weight of the world was resting on her chest. She didn't dare move, imagining herself in what muggles called cardiac arrest. Instead, she glanced up to find herself in the hospital wing with Poppy standing over her. She looked so pale and so worried. When she realized that Minerva was staring at her she gasped, her eyes alight with tears. "Thank goodness! Oh, don't move and please don't try to speak!" Poppy exclaimed, taking a seat beside the bed. Minerva couldn't help herself. She closed her eyes and drifted off. It was simply too much effort to keep awake.  
  
Sometime the next morning she awoke to bright sunshine spilling through the window and to the sounds of voices beyond her. Opening her eyes she found Poppy and Severus talking quietly just beyond her bed. She still felt completely weak but she found the breathing just a little easier, and therefore decided it worth a try to use her voice. "Good morning, Poppy," she greeted in a slightly hoarse voice, "and to you Severus." The two turned to her, slightly surprised to hear her speak. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you." Poppy apologized, coming to her side. "It was the sunlight that woke me." Minerva replied, wincing as she tried to move herself into a sitting position. "No! Don't try to move, it'll only make it worse. Honestly! You're hit with four stunning spells to the chest at your age and you expect to move about with ease the next morning?" Poppy chastised her while Severus tried to repress the smirk that was itching to show itself.  
  
Minerva glared up at the two coldly. "I'd thank you not to lecture me Poppy, unless you'd like to be the one bedridden. I'd be only too happy to oblige you." She retorted, her eyes fierce. "Tut tut, Minerva. Such gratitude, after Poppy stayed the whole night by your bedside. Might I add that she gave one of your attackers such a tongue lashing that has never been seen before, that possibly rivaled one of your own verbal barrages." Severus cut in silkily, that trademark smirk on his face. "That will do, Severus. Forgive me my rudeness, but why don't you both try laying here bedridden with numerous thoughts of guilt and failure and tell me you wouldn't be a trifle waspish. I've failed Hagrid and Dumbledore, not to mention the students. How can I possibly teach the students and keep things in some amount of safety and order in my condition?" Minerva catalogued, with a heavy sigh.  
  
Maybe it was the sigh or the sight of her so frail, but Poppy and Severus exchanged a meaningful look of understanding. The smirk left Severus's lips and Poppy smiled sadly. "Minerva, the truth is your condition is really more serious than you might think. Neither of us or the rest of the staff want to see you go, but it's in your best interests that I'm having you sent to St. Mungo's. As much as I hate to admit it, I cannot help you." Poppy told her, gently taking Minerva's hand in her own. "Everything's been arranged for you." Severus informed her, his expression somewhat softer than usual. Minerva sighed again, and looked around the room. "I should have known. What a fine mess, headmaster and deputy headmistress gone, not that I've made much of a difference this year with the High Inquisitor running around Hogwarts." She murmured in a fatigued voice.  
  
Once again Severus and Poppy exchanged glances. They couldn't bear to see Minerva feeling the way she did. It was such a stark contrast to her usual cool and collected demeanor. "She'll need some breakfast before she goes." Poppy said, more to herself than anyone in the room. She conjured a dish of toast and eggs along with a glass of marmalade on a bed tray. "Severus, you may go on to prepare for your classes." She then told him. He nodded and swept from the room. "Have some of this," she coaxed while placing the food before Minerva, "I'll just be a moment." Poppy told her. "I'll need to arrange how you'll be traveling," she added before bustling out of the room.  
  
Once Poppy was out of sight, Minerva tried once again to sit up. Her heart was beating like mad and her chest felt tight. Pausing, she waited a few seconds before attempting to push herself upright again. Another several minutes went by before she was somewhat satisfied. She may have hated to slouch in the past, but this was the closest she could get to actually sitting up. Sapped of the little energy she had, she merely nibbled at her toast and eggs. After a few bites, she set down her fork and looked out at the sunshine spilling through the window. The shafts of light reminded her of the jets of light that had put her in this condition.  
  
Several moments went by before Minerva suddenly wondered what else the spells had done to her. Slowly she unbuttoned the first six buttons on her dressing gown. Pulling back the flaps, she gasped at what she saw. From the neck down to her midriff were a series of angry red scars. She traced one of the marks with her finger. She wondered if Poppy had seen these and then realized she must have, for who else would have changed her from the robes she'd been wearing the previous night into this dressing gown? Looking down at the scars again, she wondered if her skin would ever be the same again.  
  
Minerva buttoned up the gown again and turned back to the sunlight. It's probably a good thing that she was too weak to even think of revenge. Though she quite liked the idea of dueling with Dolores and tossing in a couple kicks. She knew she'd been disgusted and quite angry with Harry and George for attacking Draco as they had, but she could now understand the heat and passion that had crept up on them. She wouldn't mind taking a swipe or two at Dolores, but in the back of her mind she felt slightly disgusted with herself for even thinking it. She would not dispense with her dignity nor would she stoop to such a level.  
  
Maybe it was the effort put into sitting up or the combined effort at staying awake and battling feelings of failure, but in the next few moments Minerva slumped down a fell asleep, drifting away on her shallow breathing. She didn't dream, but flashes of light and shadows paraded around in her mind, and she could have sworn she'd heard a voice telling her, "Keep fighting, Hogwarts needs you." Even more amazing she felt someone kiss her brow, before she spiraled down into deeper sleep. 


	3. Healing Begins

"Minerva, wake up." She heard Poppy say and felt her lightly tapping her hand. "We've got to get you to St. Mungo's. We've got a portkey for you," and here she felt something placed on the bed. "Just take hold and you'll be off in no time." Poppy coaxed. Minerva opened her eyes and glanced down at the object beside her, a bag of Lemon Drops. She looked up at Poppy and felt a tear slide down her cheek. Reaching out, Minerva let her hand hover over the bag for a moment. "Poppy, thank you." She said, and then took hold of the bag.  
  
Normally she would have been upright and standing when traveling by portkey. As it was, she felt like she didn't leave her bed. More like that it had left with her on it. It was over in second and she found herself on a bed in the Enid Cayden ward on the Spell Damage floor. Looking to her left she found two Healers standing by her bed. The one nearest her smiled. "Hello there. I'm Healer Joyce Abernethy and this," she gestured to the pale dark haired young man beside her, "is my Healer in Training, Ewan Brodie." Ewan smiled and inclined his head. Minerva nodded towards the two, a small smile on her own lips.  
  
"We've talked with Madam Pomfrey a short while ago about your condition, and I'd like to examine you a bit more thoroughly to best assess what can be done," declared Joyce, handing her clipboard to Ewan and brushing her golden hair from her eyes. She pulled out her wand and slowly passed it over Minerva, literally from head to toe. She did this twice more before she let out a low whistle. "Did quite a number on you, didn't they?" Joyce remarked, taking back her clipboard from Ewan. She tapped her wand against the clipboard and immediately the parchment on it filled itself out, presumably with the diagnosis. "Well now, we've got quite a bit of work to be getting on with. Ewan, I need you to locate Healer Breedlove." Joyce ordered. Ewan nodded and left the room.  
  
"Now while we wait you definitely need something for the damaged skin." She informed Minerva while conjuring up a bowl of some yellowish liquid. "I'll need you to unbutton that dressing gown just a wee bit so I can apply these remedies." Joyce told her, conjuring a vial of clear liquid as well as another bowl of some grey paste. Minerva nodded and unbuttoned her gown. Dipping her hand in the bowl of yellow liquid, Joyce let it trickle and then passed her hand along the scars. She then dipped her hand in the paste and did the same. She then vanished the bowls and waited a few moments before she took the vial and emptied it out onto Minerva's chest, sprinkling it over the scars.  
  
Then both she and Minerva glanced expectantly at the scars, which had started to fade a bit. They didn't vanish, but they were less vivid and the skin was slightly softer and no longer raw. "Excellent. We'll have to apply these every morning and something else for the evening. It's a wonderful start." Joyce said happily just as the Ewan and Healer Breedlove entered the room. Minerva hastened to button her gown, as Joyce turned to them. "Ah, lovely. Annabeth would you kindly work on Minerva for me at least once every day. I do believe your particular skills would be very helpful in this matter." She implored and handed the tawny haired Annabeth the clipboard, which she perused in great detail before handing it back. "Why yes, of course I'll do what I can to help. I'll inform the Senior Healer about this later today." Annabeth told Joyce, her grey eyes lighting up. "Wonderful. When would be a good time today?" Joyce asked her. "The patients in my ward have been taken care of and I was actually on my break, so right now would be a perfect time." She responded, her eyes flicking over to Minerva. "Splendid, then I'll leave you to it." Joyce replied, leaving the room with Ewan behind her.  
  
Minerva glanced up at Annabeth with a curious sort of expression. "I don't know if Healer Abernethy has informed you of your current condition, but I'll tell you now that it's a wonder they didn't kill you. You've sustained quite a bit of heart and lung damage, as well as damage to your back, neck and shoulders. Healer Abernethy feels that it would be beneficial for me to perform Empathic magic for your condition, mainly to assuage the strains your organs and muscles have gone through. It'll definitely help in addition to the other remedies that will be given you." Annabeth explained, moving closer to the bed. Minerva nodded, understanding now why she had trouble breathing and why her heart was behaving so oddly, as she'd already figured out the reasons why her whole body was stiff and tight. "Well, what are waiting for?" She asked, a smirk on her face.  
  
Annabeth laughed. "I imagined you'd say that. What I need you to do though, for this to work properly, is for you to relax a little. Close your eyes and let yourself drift a bit." She said, letting her arms hover over Minerva. Closing her eyes, Minerva tried to relax. She let her breathing slow down. A moment later she felt a warm energy hovering over her chest. It spread around inside her, warming her almost like a bowl of soup would on a winters day. The warmth then spread to her neck and shoulders, and she distinctly felt it massaging her. Slowly and gradually she felt some of the knots of tension loosen, and felt her muscles slowly relaxing. The same happened to her back all the way down to her legs and to the tips of her toes.  
  
It went on for nearly a half an hour, the warmth filling her whole body, when it started to lessen and vanish altogether. Minerva opened he eyes to find Healer Breedlove standing over her looking very pleased. "That's a brilliant start. It certainly achieved more than I thought it would. Your heart and lungs definitely need more work, but as for the rest it's shaping up quite well." Annabeth informed her happily. "Now however you need to rest. Ewan will be around a little later to bring you some lunch and then you are to rest some more." She directed, before leaving the room.  
  
Minerva sighed and gazed at the ceiling. She certainly felt a little more flexible than she had two hours ago, but she still felt a little fatigued. She had to admit however that it was a good start. Hopefully, if things kept up in this pace she stood a chance of being able to return to Hogwarts before the final term ended. It was with that happy thought that she felt into a comfortable sleep. 


End file.
